


To Where You Are

by Zetal (Rodinia)



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Exasperation, M/M, Meddling Friends, Otabek's Mischievous Friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 05:02:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13967847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rodinia/pseuds/Zetal
Summary: Otabek's friends are awesome.  For the most part.  The teasing about his Russian boyfriend is at least funny.  Daniyar's insistence on trying to find Yuri a girlfriend, though...





	To Where You Are

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Heartbeats Zine, under the love language Quality Time. Check out the other fics and art from the zine!

Yuri was sixteen the first time he visited Kazakhstan. Right after Worlds, he went home to St. Petersburg only to trade out dirty clothes for clean ones and get his cat, and then went straight back to the airport. Scary? Maybe. But Otabek would be waiting on the other side. It scared Yuri a little how nervous that didn’t make him. He’d only met the Kazakh skater four months earlier. They’d spent less than two weeks in the same city, but here Yuri was, about to spend two months basically living with the guy.

When he’d first had the idea to go to Kazakhstan to see Otabek, he’d been thinking of going for a week, staying at a hotel, and spending time with Otabek around his friend’s training schedule and other plans. He’d run it by Yakov, who’d called Otabek’s coach Amanet Marlenov. The coaches worked out an agreement for Yuri to train with Otabek in Almaty, and then Otabek to train with Yuri in Saint Petersburg for the same amount of time. With not having to miss training, Yakov and Amanet both agreed to a month in each place.

When Otabek heard the plan, he loved it – except for one thing. He took personal offense at the idea of Yuri spending the month in a hotel instead of taking the spare room at his apartment. Yuri had protested, but in the end, he was relieved by the change. Yuri’s apartment didn’t have a spare room, but it did have a pullout couch, which Otabek said was perfectly fine for him if Yuri didn’t mind.

Otabek wasn’t alone at the airport, which Yuri noticed just a little too late to stop himself gracefully. He’d intended to jump-hug Otabek, but ended up just kind of crashing into him a little. “Sorry, Beka!”

“It’s okay.” Otabek gave Yuri a quick hug. “This is my brother Selim. Didn’t see any way to get you, Potya, and your luggage on my bike, so I asked him and his car to come with me.”

“Hi.” Selim held out a hand, and oh boy, Yuri was fucked. If Selim was anything to go by, and they looked enough alike that he probably was, Otabek was going to get even hotter. Yuri’d had enough trouble keeping his hands and his mouth under control in Helsinki. Yuri shook Selim’s hand quickly. “Let’s go get the infamous Potya.”

“He’s infamous now?”

Otabek shrugged. “I told him the story you told me about what happened when you introduced Viktor.”

Yuri snorted. “Good times. Potya’s got sense.”

“Could be an awkward two months then.” Yuri stared at Selim, head tilted. Selim punched Otabek in the shoulder. “If your cat’s got sense, then he’s gonna give Beks here hell.”

 

The second time Yuri visited Kazakhstan was after Nationals that year, to spend New Year’s with Otabek’s family. This time, he didn’t bring Potya – who had taken quite well to Otabek, despite Selim’s teasing. It’s just that he was only staying a few days.

The previous New Year’s, Otabek had come to Moscow to celebrate with Yuri and Nikolai. It had been a lot quieter then. This time, Otabek’s family had gathered – not just his parents and siblings and nieces and nephew, but grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and a couple people Otabek couldn’t quite explain how they were connected. There were also some friends who had come to join the party.

Otabek’s friend Daniyar was quick to introduce Yuri to Aigerem, another friend of theirs. “She’s just turned sixteen and I think you’ll really like her. She loves cats, and she’s a drummer.”

“Uh, hi?” Yuri shook hands with Aigerem. “Nice to meet you.”

“I’ve heard so much about you from Beka! And our other friends, of course, but mostly Beka.” Aigerem twirled her hair and smiled. “I was so mad I didn’t get a chance to meet you last summer. I only missed you by two days.”

“Coach Yakov wouldn’t have let me stay any longer. Sorry.” Yuri shot Otabek a what the hell look. Otabek shrugged at him. “Are you a fan?”

“Not an Angel, but yeah, I love watching you skate. Beka, too. I was so disappointed, fourth place again? At least this time JJ didn’t steal his bronze…”

“Aigerem. JJ didn’t steal it,” Otabek said.

“Yes he did,” Yuri grumbled. “You know it, too. I get why you didn’t make a fuss, but seriously?”

Beka smiled. “Honestly, I care more about having beaten JJ out twice for bronze at Worlds than not having medaled at the Grand Prix Finals yet.”

That night, once Otabek and Yuri were finally able to make their escape to the bike, Otabek had just sat down when he started laughing uncontrollably. Yuri slid on behind him and got an arm around his waist. “What’s so funny?”

“I just realized why Daniyar was so eager to introduce you to Aigerem and why she spent the whole evening hanging around with us.”

“Oh good, you can explain.”

“He kept talking about how happy I’d been last summer, when you came out here, and didn’t understand me when I told him that you wouldn’t be coming out here very often because you have training.”

“How hard is that to understand? You train a lot too!”

“I know. I think he’s got it in his head that you’ll come to Almaty more if you have a girlfriend here.”

Yuri buried his face in the back of Otabek’s shoulder. “Wow. Could he be any more wrong?”

“Oh, probably. I’m sure there’s a way. At least he got it right that I’m happier when you’re here.”

 

The third time Yuri visited Kazakhstan, it was summer again. Otabek and Yuri had worked out the same deal with their coaches they’d made the previous summer, this time without even the suggestion of hotels. “I’ve talked to Aigerem. She was disappointed, but she’s not gonna be weird around us,” Otabek promised.

Yuri snorted. “Why the hell was she disappointed? Does she really want a boyfriend she gets to see for a month out of the year unless she moves to Russia?”

“Not sure she’s thinking about that. Or at all, honestly, she never really struck me as all that bright.”

“You’re mean.”

“Maybe.”

“What about Daniyar?”

Otabek tilted his head to one side, pretending to consider it. “No, I don’t think he wants a boyfriend for one month out of the year either.”

Yuri punched his shoulder through the laughter. “Asshole. You know what I meant.”

“He’s joined the others in teasing me about my Russian boyfriend, so probably. We can hope.”

Aigerem left them alone. Daniyar, not so much. Yuri hadn’t even been there a week when Daniyar introduced Gulzhan. “She’s new to Almaty and I think you’ll really like her. She could use someone to help her out.”

Yuri and Otabek exchanged amused glances. “I’d say welcome to Almaty, but I’m just visiting, I don’t know that I’m the right person to show you around.” Yuri noticed Otabek’s friend Olzhas staring at them. “But I think Olzhas would love to show you around. Wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah, I’d love to. Hi.”

Afterward, Otabek wrapped Yuri up in a hug. “Daniyar’s, apparently, an idiot.”

“Yeah. In other news, tigers are fierce.”

 

A few days later, it was Lyazzat. Daniyar had set Yuri and Otabek up on a date with Lyazzat and her friend Raushan by arranging what he said was going to be a few friends hanging out and then telling everyone else to meet at a different club.

Lyazzat rolled her eyes when they realized no one else was coming. “I don’t know how many times I’m going to have to tell Daniyar I’m not looking for a boyfriend. Yuri, I’m sure you’re awesome, but nothing’s going to happen.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not looking for a girlfriend, either. Daniyar’s just a fucking moron. Why are you here, Raushan?”

She shrugged. “Daniyar couldn’t tell me whatever he told everyone else to set this up without it getting to Lyazzat?”

“Same for me,” Otabek said. “Why’s he so eager to get you a boyfriend, Lyazzat?”

“Because he’s heard my grandparents have arranged a marriage for me next summer. He thinks if I have a boyfriend I’ll fight back, but I’ve met the guy they want me to marry and I don’t have a problem with marrying him and it’ll make my grandparents happy.”

 

If it had been anyone but Daniyar introducing Oksana, Yuri would have taken it at face value. “She’s just moved here from Russia and I think she could use the company of someone from back home.”

“Where’s home? Russia’s a big country,” Yuri said.

Oksana smiled at him. “Vyborg, near the Finnish border.”

Not that far from Saint Petersburg, really. Maybe, if he hung out with Oksana, Daniyar would stop with the girls. Maybe. Oksana didn’t seem to be too horrible, and when nothing happened, maybe Daniyar would finally stop.

On Yuri’s last night in Kazakhstan, they went to watch Otabek play a set. Daniyar walked up to Yuri. “When are you coming back?”

“Hopefully, next May. Grandpa’s not doing so well, so Beka’s coming to Moscow with me for New Year’s unless something happens between now and then.”

“But… what… you should come back sooner!”

“I can’t. I’m taking time in August to visit friends in Japan, and once the season starts I don’t go anywhere but competitions except for New Year’s. I like Almaty fine, but I’ll see Beka at competitions and he’s coming to Japan with me, so I’m not gonna risk Yakov’s wrath to come to Almaty.”

 

The fourth time Yuri went to Kazakhstan is when it all blew up. As Yuri had predicted, it was the next summer. After getting in and dropping off Potya and the luggage, they headed off to Otabek’s parents’ house to see the family. They walked in on Otabek’s younger sister Dariya about ready to take Daniyar’s head off. “How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not inflicting your stupid scheme on anyone I like, and I’m not inflicting anyone I don’t like on Yuri!”

“You don’t want to see Beka happy? What kind of sister are you?”

“I would love to see Beka happy! Which is why I am not going along with this stupid plan!” Dariya stomped her foot. “Why do you not listen to those of us who know what we’re talking about?”

Otabek went to Dariya and put an arm around her. “Daniyar, what are you doing? Why are you making my sister cry?”

“I’m not! She’s being stubborn! You’d think…”

Yuri crossed his arms. “Dariya? What’s he doing and how hard do you want him kicked?”

“I’ll leave how hard to kick him up to you, it’s you and Beka he’s really being mean to. He wants me to get one of my friends to try to steal you from Beka.”

Yuri’s jaw dropped, and Otabek’s hands clenched into fists. “Daniyar. What the fuck?”

“If he has a girlfriend here…”

“He has a boyfriend here. He doesn’t come more often because he can’t with his training schedule.” Otabek looked over to Yuri. “I know we were planning on talking to Mom and Dad first, but…”

“Yeah. Daniyar. I don’t know what your deal is, but you can stop worrying. At the end of this month, you probably won’t have to worry about Beka’s happiness,” Yuri said.

“Why not?” Daniyar asked.

“Because I’m planning to move to Saint Petersburg at the end of the month to live with my boyfriend and train at his rink. Yuri and I have been together for almost two years now.” He raised an eyebrow at Daniyar’s blank stare. “I thought you knew that. Everyone else does.”

“Um, no, we did not,” Daniyar said.

Otabek stared. “You’ve been teasing me about my boyfriend since before he even was!”

“We didn’t know he’d actually become your boyfriend! We were still teasing! It’s not like you guys act like boyfriends!”

“By which you mean we don’t slobber all over each other and cling to each other in public?” Otabek said. Daniyar nodded. “Yeah. I’m a private person, and Yuri hates PDA, so we keep our public behavior appropriate for public spaces.”

“Which I’ve been telling you for months, you twit, you think I don’t know my brother better than you?” Dariya said. “I was the second person they told!”

“One reason I’m moving to Saint Petersburg – no one’s constantly disrupting the quality time we do get together trying to shove girls at us. There’s also that’s where Yakov and Viktor are of course.”

“But… I’m…” Daniyar stared between the three of them, and it finally sunk in that this was not a joke or a scheme or anything but exactly what it looked like. “I’m sorry, Beka. You’re seriously moving to Saint Petersburg?”

“Yeah. For Yuri. There wasn’t really much chance of me not going, but the girls just made it easier for me to agree to leave my family and friends again. We’ll still be visiting – probably more often, since we won’t be coming for a month at a time, even.”


End file.
